daily life in seminary


In order to get my seminary work done, I needed to scan my textbooks into the computer and then take time to read my assignments. I also scanned books from the library that I used for research assignments. In a given semester, I might scan as many as 10,000 pages. My scanning speed was affected by the amount of memory in my computer; so I found it necessary to upgrade my computer twice in the course of my seminary career in order to increase my efficiency in studying.

Even at peak efficiency, I often woke up very early in order to allow time for all this extra scanning as well as reading.

I walked to campus on days when weather and stamina allowed. I lived 1.5 miles from campus; and I hoped that the exercise would be good for me. In time, my plan didn’t work so well. My dog guide began to slow due to the onset of arthritis; and the walk that first took 35 minutes eventually took an hour. My own health problems also began to interfere with walking; and I began to pay for transportation to campus. This allowed me to make better use of my time; but it was a tremendous financial sacrifice.



In order to minimize my need for transportation, I sometimes spend the entire day on campus when I had class in the morning and evening. I used the long break in between classes to study. Other students who commuted in from out of town did the same, and we often studied in the seminary lounge. I related more easily to the commuters than I did to the students who lived on campus. I wanted to participate in social events that took place during the evenings; but it was difficult to obtain transportation to these events even living so close to campus. The pseudo-commuter lifestyle frustrated me greatly.

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.

About Sarah Blake LaRose

Sarah Blake LaRose teaches Biblical Hebrew and Greek at Anderson University School of Theology and Christian Ministry in Anderson, Indiana. She is one of three blind academic scholars who received the Jacob Bolotin Award from the National Federation of the Blind in 2016 in recognition of innovative work in the field of access to biblical language texts and tools for people who are blind. In addition to her work as a professor, she provides braille transcription services specializing in ancient languages. Her research interests concern the intersection of disability, poverty, and biblical studies.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *